Raymond school board finalized

By GRETYL MACALASTERUnion Leader CorrespondentMarch 20. 2013 11:24PMRAYMOND - John Harmon was elected chairman of the school board by a 3-2 vote on Wednesday night. Kelly Lehman was voted in as vice-chairman with one abstention and newly elected school board member Daniel Chouinard was elected secretary after Tina Thomas declined a nomination for the position.

Among the new board's first order of business was choosing the high school graduation date, which has been made more challenging by a build-up of snow days.

Graduation is scheduled for Friday, June 14, the day after seniors take their last final exams.

Lehman asked that high school Principal Kirk Beitler come back to the board with a possible back-up plan should there be any more snow days.

Harmon said in the past the district has been reluctant to have the last day of senior finals be the last day before graduation because of the amount of work high school administration has to turn around in a short timeframe.

Beitler said they have managed it before to get the seniors graduated prior to the last day of school.

In other business, Harmon also noticed the board that the elementary school building committee will soon be coming back before them to discuss possible future sites for a new school.

The committee was initially charged with coming up with a plan to rehabilitate and add on to the current school, but learned late in the process that a town ordinance would require the entire building to be raised 18-inches above the floodplain on which it sits. The prospect has prompted the committee to consider other options.

Harmon said the committee has discussed several possible sites in town and will make a presentation to the board on May 1, before holding a community input session on May 7.